


It didn't come up?

by Zinthezinner



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BOY the lampshade is close to the ground with how much I hang it here, Childhood Friends, Gen, and it isn't ignored that kanachikayou are childhood friends, canon is so contrived lol, this is just after episode 2 of season 1 of sunshine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24996121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zinthezinner/pseuds/Zinthezinner
Summary: An alternative to canon in which it is remembered that Kanan, Chika, and You-chan are childhood friends.
Kudos: 16





	1. It didn't come up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan, Chika, and You-chan have a talk just after the events of episode 2 of season 1 of the sunshine anime and learn about something a little earlier than usual...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the winter duo/trios came out and I was talking with a mate about the other options, and kanachikayou (who were in option k) came up. they seem to get ignored a lot, so that conversation led to this!

“So she ended up joining, huh?” Kanan asks, leaning against one of Chika’s bedroom’s walls.   
  
“Yeah!!”   
“The sound of the ocean got to her, I guess. It’s good!”   
“I keep hearing her practicing from my room, it’s really fun! She’s super talented and pretty and cool, and I’m glad to have her on as a composer!”   
“She’ll be singing and dancing too though, right?”   
“Of course! She _was_ going to just write for us, but I managed to convince her to do it all!”   
“Do you know if she’s any good?”   
  
Chika opens her mouth. You makes a face. They hold this for a few seconds before looking away.   
  
“So… no. Well, that’s alright. You two have to learn as well, and it helps to have some musical experience.”   
“Mhmm, mhmmm!”   
“Have you talked with her about who the centre is for your first song?”   
“That’d be me!” Chika proclaims, pointing proudly at herself with a thumb.   
“Ahaha, that’s the spirit! I remember being like that, too.”   
“Yeah, it’s pret- WAIT.”   
“Hm?”   
“Chika-chan?”   
  
Chika doesn’t reply for some seconds, eyes scrunched shut. Just as it seems like the other two should say something, she speaks up.   
  
“Remember!”   
“Remember what?”   
“You said remember! How do you remember what it’s like to be excited to centre for a song?”   
“I mean, I was an idol for a bit. Of course I was excited.”   
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?”   
  
Kanan raises her hands to calm them.   
  
“Whoa, chill ou-”   
“ _ You _ were an idol??? Since  _ when _ ???”   
“Yeah, how come you didn’t tell us? We’ve been friends for ages!”   
“I guess it didn’t come up?”   
“DIDN’T COME U-”   
  
Chika stops herself, bringing her hands together in front of her lips and scrunching her eyes shut.   
  
“If I get in trouble for yelling it’s your fault. But. What do you mean you were a school idol? Why didn’t you tell us?”   
“... It didn’t come up? You two didn’t ask what I was doing, so I didn’t say.”   
“When was it?”   
“My first year of high school.”   
“So it hasn’t come up at all for two years?”   
“Apparently not.”   
“Huh…”   
  
Chika flops down onto her bed.   
  
“You guys must’ve failed pretty badly then, huh? You didn’t even invite us to any of your concerts…”   
“Chika-chan, they might not have even  _ had  _ concerts. I’m sure she would’ve invited us if she had a big one, right?”   
“Well…”   
  
It’s Kanan’s turn to look away.   
  
“Kanan-chan. Don’t tell me you made it big without us.”   
“Not really. We were going to do a show in Tokyo, but… it didn’t work out, so we split. It’s not really a big deal, and it’s kinda behind me now, so.”   
“Don’t you miss it?”   
“No.”   
“Not at all?”   
“It was fun while it lasted, but I don’t think I can go back.”   
“But we still need 5 members to be approved!”   
“Chika-chan, you skipped the part where you invite her.”   
“Ah, ahaha~ So I did…”   
  
Kanan sighs.   
  
“Look, I don’t really want to talk about my own group right now. Do you want to keep talking about yours?”   
“I wanna know about your life, but… if you really don’t want to..?”   
“I don’t.”   
“Okay. ”   
  
…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might make this a longer fic if people are interested, just to see how this changes what happens canonically. Comment if you'd like to see more!


	2. We are Aqours!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan, Chika, and You-chan catch up again, and the idol group has a name now.  
> Aqours performs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep, decided to do more on the same day!

“So! Good news and bad news!”  
  
Kanan looks up from the equipment she’s adjusting.   
  
“Chika-chan, you have to announce yourself first.”   
“Oh right… heya Kanan-chan!”   
“Hello, Kanan-chan. Sorry!”   
“... Hi. What’s up? What news?”   
“About our idol group!”   
  
Kanan puts down what she’s working on and stands up fully, dusting herself off as she does so.   
  
“I’m listening.”   
“Well… Mari-san said we don’t need 5 applicants for our club to be approved!”   
  
Kanan cringes internally at Mari’s name, but hides it well enough to tell them   
  
“That’s great!”   
“Buuuuuut…”   
“Buuuuuut..?”   
“We do need to fill the gym. Which can fit 100 people. And there aren’t 100 people at school to fill it with.”   
“Yeah, that!”   
“I’m busy that day.”   
  
You squints.   
  
“But we didn’t tell you which day it was?”   
“Which day is it?”   
“In a week!”   
“Yeah busy. Sorry.”   
“Oh… can you at least tell other people to come see us?”   
“Sure. You got flyers or something for me?”   
“BOY DO I!”   
“Ahaha… yeah, we’ve got flyers. Take a look!”   
  
You pulls one out of her bag and hands it to Kanan.   
  
“You guys still don’t have a name?”   
“Oh, we didn’t update the flyers yet! Yeah, we’ve got a name now!”   
“What is it then?”   
“We are Aqours!”   
  
Kanan.exe has stopped working. The diver is still, save for some twitching.   
  
“Kanan-chan? You there?”   
“Hello~?”   
  
Chika waves a hand in front of Kanan’s face.   
  
“Yeah, I’m here.” she replies after too long.   
“Cool! So yeah, that’s our name!”   
“You two… where did you find that name?”   
“Written on the beach! It was like our destiny or whatever!”   
“R. Right.”   
“Ruby-chan already told us we didn’t have a name, so the three of us tried brainstorming on the beach!”   
“‘The three of us’ being Chika-chan, Riko-chan, and myself.”   
“Riko-chan suggested The Three Mermaids, but that was kinda silly, so we kept going until we found Aqours written in the sand! Pretty neat, huh?”   
“That’s one word for it.”   
  
Kanan reaches for her neck.   
  
“I should get back to work. I’ll see you two some other time, yeah?”   
“Yep!”   
“We’ll see you later, Kanan-chan.”   
“Bye!”   
“Seeya.”  
  


* * *

  
Dia and Kanan have been in an uncomfortable silence outside of the gym for far too long.   
  
“They have our name.”   
  
No reply.   
  
“Dia, I didn’t give it to them. Did Mari do this? They mentioned she was back, maybe-”   
“I did it.”   
“You wrote it in the sand?”   
“I wrote it in the sand.”   
“Did you mean for them to use it?”   
  
No reply.   
  
“Dia, I’m not sure how I feel abou-” Kanan starts to say, interrupted by the sounds of equipment shutting off and girls squealing.   
  
Huh.   
  
“What’s happening in there?”   
“Power outage. Excuse me.”   
“What?”   
  
Dia starts walking.   
  
“Don’t follow me.”   
  
She doesn’t, opting instead to re-fold her arms and watch the new audience members show up.


	3. Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari shows up.  
> Kanan meets the new idols on the steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a ROLL with these, three in one day!

“Yep, you make me the most comfortable, Kanan~!”   
“Wh- Mari!”   
  
Kanan removes the blonde from her chest, but she just twirls and bounces back into a hug, giggling the whole way.   
  
“What are you doing here so suddenly? Wait.”   
“Oh?”   
“If it’s about Aqours, I don’t wanna hear it.”   
  
Mari steps out of the embrace.   
  
“Do you mean the new one, or… the old one?”   
“Either. Both.”   
“You don’t want to support your childhood friends~?”   
“That’s not it.”   
“You do want to support your childhood friends?”   
“Of course! Just not…”   
  
Kanan groans.   
  
“I can help them, you know.”   
“You’re going to throw money at things until you get what you want again, aren’t you?”   
“You can help them.”   
“Are- are you propositioning me?”   
“Am I~?”   
  
A growl from the diver.   
  
“I’m not. Yet. I’m just saying you’re going to join them eventually. When you return from your little ‘leave’ here, you’ll be a school idol. Bet.”   
“You’re just scouting me on their behalf then?”   
“Kanan, I’m scouting myself on their behalf! We can be together again, all we have to do is get Dia on board!”   
“You mean she wasn’t already?”   
“Hm? Why would she be?”   
“She wrote the name in the sand and was with me outside the concert, I thought…”   
“Making an ass outta u ‘n’ me there, aren’t ya?”   
“Excuse me?”   
  
Mari giggles.   
  
“I knew she was just being stubborn~!”   
“Mari, if she doesn’t want to do it then she doesn’t want to do it. Maybe she just wants a legacy.”   
“Legacy schmegacy, she’s in denial! You are too. You said you were at their concert with her?”   
“Outside.”   
“Inside, outside, same diff. You were there, you just admitted it!”   
“That only means I wanted to support Chika-chan, You-chan, and their new friend.”   
“Then why didn’t you do it from inside? It’s not like there wasn’t room at the start!”   
“I got there late, same as everyone else.”   
  
The blonde studies the face in front of her.   
  
“I think you didn’t want to see the stage again in case you got second thoughts, but you got them anyway, didn’t you?”   
“I did not. I don’t want to go back to it.”   
“Why not?”   
  
Kanan doesn’t seem to have a good answer for this, or at least not one she can say to Mari’s face. She changes the subject.   
  
“You can talk to Dia all you want, she won’t want to go back either.”   
“Another challenge, then! I accept.”   
  
Narrowing her eyes, Kanan turns to go.   
  
“I’m leaving.”   
  
She starts walking, and she isn’t followed.   
  
“Stubborn as always.” Mari mutters to herself.  
  


* * *

  
“Kanan-chaaaan! Ahoy!”   
  
Kanan looks up from the shrine.   
  
“Ahoy!”  
“Were you waiting for us?”  
“Nah, I was just thinking for a bit. That’s all.”  
“Thinking up here… sounds nice.”  
“Right? We should take our time up here more!”  
  
The three marvel at the sight before them, leaving the third-year to look awkwardly away.  
  
“Ah, I think I hear someone coming!”  
  
The new group turn their backs to Kanan to encourage someone loudly that they can do it, that they’re almost there. Do they know this person?  
  
When the runner reaches the top, their identity is revealed. It’s… Ruby? Dia’s little sister?  
  
She puts her hands to her knees, panting.  
  
“I did it… I did it!”  
“Amazing, Ruby-chan!”  
  
Confirmed, then.  
  
"I see you have a new friend?”   
“Oh, did we not tell you? We have Ruby-chan and Hanamaru-chan now!”   
“... Two?”   
“Yeah, we’re really good at recruiting!”   
“They are only on trial though…”   
“And actually, where’s Hanamaru-chan?”   
“Didn’t she run out of breath?”   
  
Ruby stays silent.   
  
“You don’t think she’s in trouble do you?”   
“Oh no! She must be in trouble!”   
“Chika-chan, that’s not what Riko-chan sa-”   
“Kanan-chan, come with us! A poor girl needs our help!”   
“Huh? Oh… alright!”   
  
The five break into a sprint, Chika in the lead and Riko in the rear. They run down the steps, but instead of the other trial member, they find...    
  
“Onee-chan?”   
  
Nope. Nope. Nope. Jogging backwards up the steps for Kanan.   
  
But… she does kinda wanna hear this. She hasn’t really heard much about Dia’s little sister lately. She ducks out of sight and stays within earshot.   
  
“What is the meaning of this?”   
“Ah, well, that is…”   
“No, Ruby-chan’s not w-”   
“Chika-san…”   
  
A pause.   
  
“Onee-chan.”   
“...”   
“I… you see…”   
  
… 


	4. Yume de Yozora o Terashitai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqours is at 6.  
> Mari has planted some seeds.  
> Kanan and Dia work on some lanterns together.  
> Kanan and Dia watch Yume de Yozora o Terashitai.

“We’re at 6!”  
  
Kanan’s pretty used to Chika and You bursting in with news at this point, so she immediately sets down what she’s working on to listen.  
  
“6 what?”  
“6 members! We have a fallen angel in our ranks!”  
“That’s great.”  
“Right?? We even tried to change our image to match, but that didn’t go so well…”  
“To… fallen angels..?”  
“Dia-san was kinda mad we made Ruby-chan do that one, and she was right about it being a temporary boost. We really couldn’t keep it up as a group, but having Yohane-chan do it herself seems fine?”  
“This Yohane-san seems like quite a character then.”  
“Yeah! It’s super cool! Ah! But that’s not the only thing!”  
  
Chika bounces on the spot.  
  
“What’s the other thing?”  
“The school is being merged and shut down!!”  
  
Kanan takes a moment to process Chika’s news and accompanying enthusiasm.  
  
“And that’s… good..? You seem pretty excited.”  
“We get to save it just like μ’s did!”  
  
…  
  


* * *

  
“Mari.”  
“Kanan.”  
“The school is shutting down.”  
“It seems so, doesn’t it?”  
  
Mari steps towards her.  
  
“You know what has to happen next, don’t you?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“You have the power, Kanan. We have the power. You know what they want to do, do you not?”  
“... I don’t know who you’re talking about.”  
“We need your power again.”  
“You’re serious?”  
  
Mari stares. Kanan stares.  
  
“I told Dia we could be like μ’s, we could have 9 members just like them. I’ve planted the seeds.”  
“You haven’t planted anything.”  
“I’ve planted them.”  
  
Mari smiles a bastardly smile.  
  
“They’re trying so hard… and we can help.”  
“Why do you think you know so much about them and their motivations?”  
“Never underestimate a stalker, Kanan.”  
  
…  
  


* * *

  
“Kanan…”  
“Dia?”  
“Do you want to work on these lanterns together?”  
“Oh… sure.”  
  
It’s just lanterns, right?  
  


* * *

  
“I guess we signed up for more than we thought, huh?”  
“Chika-san sure does have a way with words sometimes.”  
“Yeah… she does.”  
  
Kanan turns her gaze from the preparations to the idols.  
  
“We kinda owe it to them to actually watch this time, huh?”  
“That we do.”  
“Their costumes are pretty good… You-chan’s really making an attempt, huh?”  
“They all are. I must say, I admire it.”  
  
Dia’s face has the traces of a faint smile.  
  
“You know, Chika-san tried to recruit me earlier.”  
“What did you say?”  
“I said no.”  
  
She says that, and there's a hidden word at the end. Kanan doesn’t comment on it, because  
  
“I think they’re about to start.”  
  
She nods, and they wait.  
  
It’s… gorgeous. The lanterns, the costumes, the dancing, the voices… it’s absolutely stunning, and it blows both of them away. A pang of longing hits hard.  
  
The song ends.  
  
Kanan finally tears her eyes away from the stage to look at her companion. She can’t help but let out a short laugh.  
  
“Dia, you’re crying.”  
“We all are.”  
“M-Mari! Christ.”  
  
Checking her eyes though, Kanan does find them wet.  
  
“It’s been so long.”  
“I know.”  
  
Mari sits with the two.  
  
“They’re shining so brightly.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Are you proud?”  
  
Both Dia and Kanan answer with “Yes”. Mari smiles a kinder smile.  
  
“When Chika-san tried to scout me earlier I said no, but…”  
“But..?”  
“After seeing this, I…”  
“You miss it, don’t you?”  
  
Dia nods.  
  
“I want to help them. I want… to become a school idol again.”  
“YOU DO?”  
  
That earns some jumps. Turning around, the third-years see 6 idols.  
  
“Chika-chan! Christ, when did you get here?”  
“We haven’t been here long, don’t worry!”  
“We heard you talking, and we didn’t want to interrupt, so.”  
“Onee-chan… did you mean it? What you said just now?”  
“Yes.”  
“For real?!?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then we’ve got a new member!!”  
“Two, if you want~! Or maybe… three..?”  
  
Mari turns her head to Kanan. The rest turn their heads to her as well. Put on the spot, Kanan casts her eyes down and reaches for the back of her neck. She can feel the puppy-dog eyes boring into her.  
  
A sigh, which turns into a small laugh. She turns her gaze to the sky.  
  
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”  
“You’ll do it?!?”  
“I will.”  
“Yay!!”  
  
Chika launches herself into Kanan for a hug, nuzzling hard. She’s hugged back.  
  
“I knew you’d come around eventually!”  
“You make it sound like you were bothering her about it-zura.”  
“We tried not to push it, but we did keep her up-to-date. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, I swear.”  
“I see.”  
  
A warmth that goes beyond the kind that follows exercise permeates the group.  
  
“I guess this makes 9 of us, huh?”  
“Ah! Just like μ’s!”  
  
Dia’s excitement is palpable, though she tries to keep it under control.  
  
“I get to be Aqours again.”  
“‘Again’?!?”  
“She was in the same idol group as me, as was Mari here. We were the old Aqours.”  
“That’s so awesome! Are you excited to be back?”  
  
Kanan tightens the hug. She can feel herself starting to really cry again.  
  
“Yeah! I am!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finished! I hope you all enjoyed this, it was really fun to go back and experience the anime again!


End file.
